Store associate Brandy Nichols, manager Susan Aaron and assistant manager Kim Watson are seen in Maurices, a clothing retailer opening in the Fultondale Promenade shopping center on Oct. 26.

By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



A popular clothing retailer will soon become a part of Fultondale’s Colonial Promenade shopping center.

Though still a few weeks away from opening, Maurices store manager Susan Aaron said her store will be a “fun place to shop.”

“We want to be the store that if you’ve had a bad day, you can say, ‘I want to go down to Maurices and see what those girls are up to. … They’re always up to something,’” Aaron said.

She described Maurices as “simply the best small town clothing store.” She said the store appeals to women who have what she called a “15 to 24 attitude.”

She said the store will carry a large range of items like the popular Silver jeans, in addition to work, casual and lounge wear. “If you lost your luggage, you could come to us and replace everything but hair and makeup items,” she said.

The Fultondale 4,200 square foot store will represent the 10th Alabama store, but the first Birmingham-area store. Other locations exist in Cullman, Jasper and Oxford and a store is being planned for McCalla.

Founded in Duluth, Minn., in 1931, Maurices operates about 600 stores in 42 states. The company partnered with retailer Dress Barn two years ago.

Aaron said despite the number of stores in the U.S., the retailer has small town pride. She said the store had already participated in Fultondale’s Founder’s Day celebration held in August, and the company partners with the American Cancer Society in its Relay for Life events.

Aaron said Fultondale was chosen as a location because it does have a small town feel, but it’s also a growing city.

“They bring in a team of marketing and real estate experts to find out, is it growing and will we fit that niche?” she said.

The store will start with about 10 employees, but will likely hire more during the holiday season. Aaron said her employees hail from the north Jefferson area.

Aaron, a Birmingham native, said she is familiar with the north Jefferson area because she can remember shopping at Yieldings in Gardendale with relatives.

Maurices will have a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m on Oct. 26 in which door prizes and four $100 shopping sprees will be given away. The store’s normal hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.